Frida paints colorful portrait

Colors. Passion. Honesty. Julie Taymor's Frida is abundant in them all. Set primarily in the vibrant Mexico of the first part of the 20th century, the movie highlights the life of the renowned artist Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) and her husband, Diego Rivera, another prominent artist and political figure of Mexico. Hayek contributes as much to the character of Frida as she does to the creative process of the film by doubling as producer. The movie does not blanket any aspect of Frida's life. It is unflinchingly honest as it depicts the accident that affected her for her entire life (a handrail went through her body in a wreck), the infidelities throughout her marriage - including her affairs with women and her sensual friendship with photographer Tina Modotti (Ashley Judd), along with her controversial affair with Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush). The movie is like a moving art gallery, providing creative glimpses into the mind of the artist through montage daydreams and the moments that led to the creation of some of her most famous paintings. At its heart, Frida is a movie about suffering and the necessity of that suffering, and it leaves audiences pondering whether or not the artist could have created what she did without the pain she was subjected to, both physically and emotionally. Hayek's strong resemblance to the real-life Frida also helps authenticate the movie. From the uni-brow and faint mustache to the bright costuming and caustic wit, Hayek makes the audience forget she in fact is only acting like Frida. The movie about endurance and its artistic product shows that although Frida could not bring a human child into this world, she could bring forth a legacy, the child that was her artwork and her beauty. Frida plays at Regal Downtown West 8. Rating: A+